When in August 2019 Jammu and Kashmir state was divested of its special status under Articles 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution and downgraded to UT from the status of a full fledged state, majority of people in J&K, while coping with the shock of the state having lost its 69 year old unique position in the union, felt somewhat reassured with the assurances from the Prime Minister and the Home Minister that statehood will be restored at an appropriate time in the near future. In view of these assurances made inside the parliament, most people in Jammu and Kashmir felt that it would probably be another one or two years till statehood is restored. But statehood remains elusive till date.

Most political parties in J&K are demanding statehood but no one seems to listen

All major political parties active in Jammu and Kashmir except BJP have been demanding restoration of statehood to restore the dignity and seriousness of politics in J&K which has taken a hit in the UT system where the elected government stands statutorily disempowered under the Re-organization Act of 2019. Quite justifiably, these political parties are not in a position to run their political activities full steam because of the disempowerment. Of late, the Congress party has been holding protests demanding statehood while others have been demanding through party resolutions and statements. The National Conference MPs, both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have also been demanding restoration of statehood through their speeches inside the parliament.

But all this is making no impression on the ruling dispensation at the centre who it seems are looking at the demand purely through their party prism and political calculations. Since J&K is a political hot potato in rest of the country, the ruling party wants to keep it hot to garner support for........

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